Territory



(No Model.) 2 Sheetssheet 1.

Y H. BARBER, Jr. SEEING DEAET ATTACHMENT EOE VEHICLES.

'NAA-10,230. j Patented sem-3,1889l Hita (Ne Medel.) 2 sheets-sheet 2'.

H. BARBER, Jr. SPRING DRAFT ATTACHMENT AFR VEHICLES. Ne. 410,230. Peeeneed Sepe. s, 1889.v

1 'UNITED STATES YPATErm @Erica il HIRAM BARBER, JR., OF MITCHELL, DAKOTA 'TERRITORY.`

SPRING DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR vel-notes.

SPECIFICATION forming pere of Letters Patent No. 410,230, dated september 3, lese.`

Application filed January 29,1887. Serial ll'o. 225,889. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM BARBER, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Mitchell, in the county of Davison and Territory of Dakota, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring Draft A-ttachments for Wagons, Sleds, and Plows, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the ac-` companying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to spring draft attachments, and is designed more particularly to be used upon wagons, sleds, and plows; and its object is to provide a yielding connection between the evener or whiffletree and the pole or beam, the advantages of which, in matters of draft, are well known.

My invention consistsin a coiled spring and a longitudinally-moving box or guide-case including the same, in combination with a bolt passing through the case and tongue or beam.

My invention further consists in certaiudetails and combinations herein particularly described and claimed.

The power applied to the evener, by which the vehicle is started forward, is exerted against the rear end of the coiled spring, and the front end of the coiled spring being limited by the bolt passing through the pole the spring is compressedas the case surrounding the spring to which t-he evener is attached is moved forward upon the pole. The sliding or longitudinally-moving case is thus used as a draw-bar and the force with which the case is drawn forward is exerted to compress the coiled spring, slots being provided in the case through which the bolt passes.

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of my spring draft attachment applied to the pole or tongue of a wagon. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section thereof upon line :c oc of Fig. 2. Fig. 4i is aview thereof as seen from sectional line yy of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the pin or core of the spring, the head of the pin being made to conform to the shape of the boltwhich passes through the slots in the case and the pole. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modification of 'my spring draft attachment. Fig. 7 is a top view of the same. Fig. S is a sectional view showingthe saine applied to the under side of the tongue. Fig. 9 is a sectional View upon line e .e of Fig. 8. v l

I will describe my invention first as illustrated in Figs. 1,2, 3, 4, and 5. The case a is a casting, which may be semi-cylindrical, so as to rest squarely upon the beam and at the same time conform as nearly as maybe to the shape of the vcoiled spring. The slots b and c are provided in this guide or case a, and the bolt d passes through these slots, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. Vheu the coiled spring c is in its normal position expanded, the bolt comes in the front portions of the slots, as shown.

The core or head-block f is placed, as shown, within the coil, itshead being tted to and resting against the fixed bolt d. A fixed stop is thus provided at the front end of the spring, while the rear end ofthe spring rests in its seat provided in the rear end of the guide-case, as shown;

The clasp gis held securely to the beam by a bolt h, provided with nuts h h2. A strap It', secured to the upper portion of the clasp, ex-

ftends forward and is held bythe bolt Cl at the front. The clasp fits closely about the case, and in connection with the bolt d forms the guide or bearings for the case as it is moved longitudinally back and forth upon the pole or'beam. I term the clasp g and strap z', taken together, the hammer-strap, for it is evident that were the case removed the evener might be attached to the wagon inthe ordinary way by means of this strap and the bolt d. The evener is connected with the case a by means of a clevis 7c, or in any other suitable manner, the case beingcutaway at the top, so as to admit the lugs of the clevis through which the pin Z passes. The case being thus cut away above the clevis, it is evident that the evener maybe raised, since the clevis may be turned upwardly upon the pin Z, as described. The spring maybe, say, ten inches in length, and the slots bc each, say, four and one-half inches, so as to conform in length, as nearly as may be, to the maximum amount of the compression of the spring. These proportions may be varied according to the amount of compression desired.

upon the tongue or beam, the slots b c movingover the bolt d as the spring is compressed.

Itis evident that when the case has moved.

forward the whole length of the slots its further movement will be arrested by the bolt d,

and thus during the time that the spring is being compressed the bolt CZ serves as a iixed stop at the front end of the spring. The power of the bolt CZ to resist the forward movement of the case is at all times aided by the hammer-strap. It is evident, however, that the hammer-strap and bolt d might be disconnected, or the hammer-strap may even be entirely dispensed with without rendering the device inoperative. y

rl`he modification of my device (shown in Figs. G, 7, S, and 9) consists, principally, in providing a rod or brace m, which is connected with the bolt d in front, and passing back through the hollow case or head-block is connected at the rear with the tongue or beam. The case a is in all respects the same as heretofore described, one or more clips or clasps passing over the case in connection with the slots serving to guide the case as it is moved longitudinally back and forth. The rod or brace gives to the attachment a high degree of strength. I therefore prefer to use the rod or brace rather than the strap attachment, where the draft is very heavy and accompanied with jerks-as, for example, in starting logging-sled's.

Having thusdescribed myinventiomI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a draft attachment for vehicles, the combination, with the pole, of the tubular casing adapted to slide thereon, provided with a hook or clevis-at its forward end and longitudinal slots in its top and bottom, a vertical bolt passing through the slots and the pole and provided at its upper end with a head and at its lower end with a nut, and the coiled spring interposed within the casingbetween its rear end and the fixed vertical bolt, whereby the spring is compressed when the casing is moved longitudinally forward on the pole, substantially as specified.

2. In a draft attachment for vehicles, the combination, with the pole, of the tubular casing adapted to slide longitudinally thereon and provided with the longitudinal slots in its top and bottom,the headed bolt passing downward through the slots in said casing and through the pole and secured by a nut on its lower end, the spring interposed between the bolt and the closed end of the casing, and the clasp or band g, secured to the pole and extending over the casing as a guide for its longitudinal movement, substantially as described.

3. In a draft attachment for vehicles, t-he combination, with the pole, of the tubular casing provided with the slots h c in its top and bottom, the rigid bolt d in the pole projecting through the slots in t-he casing, the clasp or band g, secured to the pole and extending over and around the casing, the hammerstrap connecting the head of the bolt and the fixed band g, and the coiled spring within the casing between its closed end thereof and the fixed bolt, substantially as specified.

4L. In a draft attachment for vehicles, the tubular casing a, provided with longitudinal slots in its top and bottom, the headed bolt d, projecting through the slots of the casing and through the pole and provided with anut on its lower end` for securing the casing to the pole, whereby it is adapted to move longitudinally back and forth thereon, the band g, secured to the pole and surrounding the casing as a guide to its longitudinal movement, the

the band g, the coiled spring within the casing and bearing against its rear end, and the core f within the coil, having its head resting against the fixed bolt (Z, all combined and arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of January, A. D. 1887.

IIIRAM BARBER, JR. Vitnesses:

WM. M. GILLER., GEORGE P. BARTON.

Vstra t' connectinGl t le head of the bolt d with 7 C 

